Ace’s Shoreditch hotel to close permanently
American hotel company Ace Hotel permanently closed its Shoreditch, London property, after shuttering the venue temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ace Hotel Group confirmed on Instagram that the Ace Hotel London Shoreditch on Shoreditch High Street, which was shuttered temporarily in March, will not reopen under the Ace name. Washington, D.C.-based Lore Group, which operates the building, said it planned to renovate the hotel and reopen it under its own management.
Manhattan has largest RevPAR decline ‘in modern history’
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to severely impair Manhattan hotels in the second quarter, as travel restrictions and business closures remained the new normal, according to data from PwC’s Manhattan Lodging Index. With over 60,000 hotel rooms currently closed, widespread cancellation of group travel and heightened economic uncertainty, second-quarter RevPAR experienced a year-over-year decline of 81.6%. This represents the largest decline in RevPAR in modern history for the market.
NYC hotel workers secure benefits deal
New York City hotel workers secured a three-month health care coverage extension and additional severance payments. Under the arbitrator’s decision, members of the Hotel Trades Council, which represents about 35,000 hotel workers in the city, are now entitled to supplement their unemployment checks with severance payments, which combined would equal their regular wages.
More from the New York Daily News
Baha Mar scraps October opening
The Bahamas’ Baha Mar told staff its October return was “not achievable” due to COVID-19 spikes both in The Bahamas and key U.S. markets. The Cable Beach mega resort, and its Melia Nassau Beach property, hinted strongly they may not re-open until Christmas at earliest, and possibly not until 2021.
Michigan city bans Airbnb short-term rentals
Ann Arbor, Michigan’s City Council passed an ordinance banning short-term rentals of residences that aren’t owner-occupied, signaling the end of dedicated Airbnb houses in the city. The ordinance, which goes into effect March 1, prohibits non-owner-occupied short-term rentals, like year-round Airbnb houses, in residential zoning districts.
Paying people to take vacation
About 800,000 people in Thailand have signed up for a program in which the Thai government pays them to take domestic holidays. Thai holiday-makers are encouraged to book their holiday using a specific bank wallet app on their mobile phone to get free accommodation and airfares discounted by 40%. They also get a daily spending allowance — around US$25 on weekend days and US$38 through the week — which they can spend as they please.